Professor Cooper publishes new article in Global Summitry Journal
Middle Power Leadership and the Evolution of the G20
Global power is becoming more diffuse, smarter, and more asymmetric. In developing this extended argument, we make four points. First, the G20 Seoul Summit in November 2010 showed that the G20 is becoming increasingly embedded as the hub of global economic governance. Second, a strong G20 has positive attributes for global governance. Third, a main driving force for the ascent of the G20 has been and will continue to be middle power leadership. This article, therefore, will concentrate in the following on the role of Canada, Australia and South Korea but, there is some considerable potential for this role to be appropriated by other countries. Fourth, the rise of middle powers in global governance reflects the changing nature of power as well as the changing structure of the international system. We conclude with some commentary on the sustainability of middle power leadership within the evolving pattern of global governance.